Digital keypads are commonly used to control many different types of electrical devices, including household appliances, televisions, telephones, etc. Controller keypads are marked with numeric indicia and are typically arranged in a rectangular format with individual key-actuated switches located in a rectangular grid pattern beneath the keys. Individual keys may be raised above the face of the keypad so that the operator can locate an individual key by his sense of touch. Membrane-type switches placed underneath the surface of the keypad face are commonly used. In order to help the operator locate individual keys, it is also known to have the keypads lighted to compensate for low-light conditions during operation. It is also known to employ a plurality of push-buttons around the circumference of a circle on a telephone in order to combine o the features of push-button dialing with the format of an older style rotary telephone dialer. These buttons are not located in the numeric orientation or the radial spacing of a traditional clock face. The closest patent art of which the applicant is aware is U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,068 issued to Crook et al, entitled "Gun Shaped Remote Control Unit for a Television". While this patent shows the use of a pistol-shaped remote controller having a trigger switch which produces a signal beam from a TV remote keypad, it fails to disclose the stand structure or the unique keypad configuration of the present invention that will be further described herein.
The above prior art however, does not meet the needs of a manually handicapped or visually-impaired person who requires a digital keypad that is easy to use and sometimes requires its use without the benefit of sight in low-light conditions.